Two giant pandas are en route from China to the National Zoo in Washington. It’s the first pair China has sent to Washington in 24 years. The zoo’s previous pair returned to China with their cub last November. These two pandas are loaned to the Nation Zoo for 10 years at annual cost of $1 million to support conservation efforts in China.
From 1941 to 1984, the Chinese government gifted giant pandas to other countries. But that changed in 1984 when the country began offering pandas to other nations only on 10-year loans and for a fee of up to $1 million. With this change in policy, nearly all of the world’s pandas are owned by China. However, since 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only allows U.S. zoos to import a panda if the zoo can ensure China uses more than half of the loan fee into conservation efforts.
The giant panda is native to China, found in small populations in 6 mountainous regions there. Their distinct black and white coloration acts as camouflage in winter and summer, as they don’t hibernate like other bears. The white camouflages them in winter while the black helps conceal them in the shade.
A giant panda’s diet is 99% bamboo, and they spend 10-16 hours a day eating as much as 20 to 30 pounds of bamboo shoots a day. Given its diet, pandas defecate up to 40 times a day! They also nap between feedings for 2 to 4 hours at a time.
Newborn pandas are about the size of a stick of butter. Females grow up to about 200 lbs while males are about 300 lbs as adults. Despite their size, pandas are excellent tree climbers and efficient swimmers. They’re generally solitary, with most communication done through scent marking in their territory. Scientists estimate that pandas live 15-20 years in the wild and about 30 years in human care. The oldest known giant panda was 38 years old!
Pandas are a vulnerable species, due to continued habitat loss and a low birthrate, both in the wild and in captivity. In 2021, Chinese conservation authorities announced that they are no longer endangered in the wild, with a population exceeding 1,800. Another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world.
Learn more here.